Thursday, October 31, 2019

Emergency Management (How has modern technology improved emergency Research Paper

Emergency Management (How has modern technology improved emergency response capabilities and how will this technology impact or improve future emergency response operations) - Research Paper Example The software development process is focused on developing methods to generate high resolution fused data studies to create three-dimensional product view among other features for correct forecasting, generating accurate weather alerts, which is just one of the various features of software development. The future promises new technological improvements on emergency communication in the times of disaster. Technological advancements also offer new challenges to apply new innovations in the current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) programs. The ongoing communication programs need to be revised for assimilating future additions of modern technology. Cyber Security & Communications (CS&C) has always played a leading part in the overall security of the nation’s 18 important infrastructure divisions under Homeland Security President Directive-7 (HSPD-7). CS&C is behind all the government communications programs related to priority services such as GETS, which is a White House initiated emergency telecommunications service, offering communications support to all government and non-government missions Emergencies are not a new phenomenon in the contemporary as well as the previous world. Everyone existing in any part of world has experienced, witnessed or heard of these detrimental phenomenona. Emergencies result due to uncertain disasters that threaten to ruin lives of human beings. Emergencies are never desired or planed by human beings, but occur unfortunately. Even if human beings do not plan or desire emergencies, they sometimes by mistake contribute to the occurrence of the demise within their respective societies. Emergencies due to human mistakes results from wars either civil or political, environmental pollution and setting of impractical policies destined at bettering security and food safety. Natural emergencies occur due to uncontrolled natural calamities like earthquakes, storms,

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

ORDINARY COURAGE by Joseph Martin Plumb Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

ORDINARY COURAGE by Joseph Martin Plumb - Essay Example He wanted to be featured not really as a war time hero but more as an epitome of an ideal soldier upholding the virtues of loyalty, bravery and patriotism. To top it all, he was one of those brought to the harshness of the battlefields at a very young age of 14. (Jones, G., 2009). â€Å"Joseph Plumb Martin was raised by his maternal grandparents in their farm in Connecticut. At the age of 14, he was already in action during the Battles of Lexington and Concord. He managed to get into these battlefields despite the objection from his grandfather. He started his military career when he joined the Continental Regiment that lasted for eight long years (1776-1783)† (Jones, 2009). Peer influence was one of the main reasons why JP Martin joined first the militia, then later enlisted as a private soldier of the Continental Regiment of the Revolutionary army which supported Gen. Washington. â€Å"All of his peers joined the army, forcing him to join too. He was close and loyal to his peers† (Jones, 2009). The other reason why J. P. Martin joined the army was because he got inspired by ‘rage militaire’, a propaganda advocating passion for arms and patriotic fervor (Jones, 2009) and (Glossary). Part of the attractive recruitment package then was the promise to provide continuous ration of food, medicine and clothing and of course, a monthly salary worth $ 6.75 dollars. Like a fever, this enticement swept across the country. (Jones, 2009). JP Martin’s story comes far differently from the rest. Its distinctiveness comes from the â€Å"perspective of a common soldier† (Jones, 2009). During that period, it was not a traditional practi ce for an ordinary person to write about history. Most war write-ups were written from the peripheral standpoint which makes them somewhat superficial as compared to the accounts made by someone like JP Martin who participated in the actual battlefield. One of the major

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Child Labour In India And Human Rights Young People Essay

Child Labour In India And Human Rights Young People Essay Introduction Child labour is undoubtedly a human rights issue. It is not only exploitative but also endangers childrens physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and moral development. It perpetuates poverty because a child labour, deprived of education or healthy physical development, is likely to become an adult with low earning prospects.  [1]  This is a vicious cycle which apart from ruining the lives of many results in an overall backwardness in the masses. Moreover, conceptualising child labour as a human rights issue gives the victim with the authority to hold violators liable. Human rights generate legal grounds for political activity and expression, because they entail greater moral force than ordinary legal obligations. Children are right holders with the potential to make valuable contributions to their own present and future well being as well as to the social and economic development of the society and thus they should under no circumstances be perceived as passive and vulnerable. Today, traditionally prescribed interventions against child labour which were welfare based like providing a minimum age for work are being replaced by rights-based approach. A rights-based approach to child labour needs to be adopted which puts internationally recognized rights of children to the center while utilizing UDHR, ICCPR and ICESCR as a supportive framework. Child labour is a condition from which the children have a right to be free and it is not merely an option for which regulating standards must be devised. In this paper we shall firstly trace the slow orientation of child labour laws to include human rights perspective internationally, and then evaluate current Indian laws and policies from a human rights perspective A Human rights approach to child labour Initially, scholars were unsure over extending human rights to children.  [2]  For instance, the 1948 Universal declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) emphasises that everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms set forth in the declarationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but makes no age qualification to the same. So it is unclear whether it extends to children. However, Art.4 of UDHR has been interpreted as prohibiting exploitation of child labour by interpreting servitude to include child labour.  [3]   In addition, Articles 23 and 26 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights seek to guarantee just and favorable conditions of work and the right to education, both of which are violated constantly and globally through the exercise of the worst forms of child labor. In 1966 the International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights (ICESCR) and International Covenant on civil and political rights (ICCPR) took significant preliminary steps towards modifying human rights according to age, by defining childhood as a state requiring special protection, with rights distinct to those of adults.  [4]  Even so it was not until 1989 that the Convention on Rights of Children (CRC) clearly spelt out the rights of the child while giving them a special status apart from the adults. Thus, it should not be surprising that early international legal efforts to address child labour tended to be abolitionist in tone and treated as an aspect of labour market regulation.  [5]  Next, a prioritization approach was adopted where concentration was on the more abusive forms of child labour. So the ILO adopted Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, 1999, aimed at the immediate elimination of intolerable forms of child labor. The convention requires signatories to work with business groups to identify hazardous  [6]  forms of child labor and introduce time-bound programs for eliminating them. Conventions 138 and 182 are recognised as core International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions but unfortunately human rights groups have done much to criticise it. They argue that this artificial division of hazardous and non-hazardous forms of child labour is artificial and made only for the benefit of labour regulations. Child labour in any form is very harmful and exploitative for the children.  [7]   Secondly, child labour, as defined by ILO is work done by children under the age of 12; work by children under the age of 15 that prevents school attendance; and work by children under the age of 18 that is hazardous to their physical or mental health. It is an economic activity or work that interferes with the completion of a childs education or that is harmful to children in any way.  [8]  Such an age based classification is incongruous and is behind time.  [9]  The right to a childhood cannot be replaced by placing such age barriers which imply at least some work could be done by children at even age 12! Where is the best interest of child seen in such laws? Fortunately, a human rights approach to child labour was soon adopted by Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. Such rules focus not only on the avoidance of harm to children but as well, on regulation of employment relationship in which working children find themselves and beyond that, on rights of children to education and to participate in decisions that affect their lives, including those related to their employment. This holistic view of child labour as only a part of a childs life is principally what sets human rights approach apart from the labour regulation approach.  [10]  However, some critique of CRC feel that categorizing child labour as a special category has trivialized their rights and have made them weak and in need of an adult advocate. Conversely, the defenders of CRC argue that it is through this classification that children gain more rights with legally recognized interests which are specific to their stage in life cycle. The slavery convention, 1926 and Supplementary convention on abolition of slavery, the slave trade, institutions and practices similar to slave trade, 1956 entered into force in 1957 prohibits slavery like practice under Art 1. In recent times Child labour has been read as a slave like practice as it involves economic exploitation. Since children are more vulnerable than adults and are dependent on their parents, it can be assumed that when they are economically exploited by their parents or by their consent, the decree of dependency necessary for work to b qualified as slavery like practice will be attained in most cases. In the light of ICCPR (art 8(2)) and Supplementary convention on abolition of slavery, the slave trade, institutions and practices similar to slave trade, 1956, Art.4 of UDHR should be interpreted as prohibiting exploitation of child labour as child labour comes under servitude. Child labour also comes under the term forced or compulsory labour in Art.8(3) of ICCPR. The obligations of state parties under art 8 are immediate and absolute. Thus state parties have to prevent private parties from violating child labour norms. Art 24, ICCPR obliges the state to protect children from economic exploitation. Convention on rights of child United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate a full range of human rights such as civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights for children. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. By recognizing childrens rights in this way, the Convention firmly sets the focus on the whole child. The Convention under Art.32 speaks of economic exploitation of children by making them perform work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the childs education, or to be harmful to the childs health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. The Convention spells out a childs right to education  [11]  , as well as identifying the forms of harm to which children should not be exposed. Other rights given to children include right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to abolish traditional practices that are prejudicial to childrens health (Article 24), a right to a standard of living adequate for the childs physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development; parents have the main responsibility for this, but governments are required within their means to assist parents, as well as to provide material assistance and support in case of need(Article 27) and a right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreationa l activities appropriate to the age of the child. Article 22 specifies that refugee children have the same rights as all other children. Article 6 of the convention makes it the obligation of the governments to ensure that children are able to survive and develop to the maximum extent possible while Article 11 urges governments to prevent the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad. Under Article 19, Governments must take action to protect children against all forms of physical or mental violence, injury, abuse, neglect, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse  [12]  and must provide special protection and assistance to children who are deprived of their own family environment under article 20. Article 35, requires governments to take action to prevent children from being trafficked while articles Article 36 and 39 requires governments to protect children against all other forms of exploitation prejudicial to any aspects of the childs welfare and to help children recover from exploitation, neglect or abuse (particularly their physical and psychological recovery and return and reintegration into the communities they come from). Two other provisions in the Convention are also vitally important for working children. Article 3 says government agencies and other institutions taking action concerning a child or children must base their decisions on what is in the childrens best interests. Article 12 emphasises that when a child is capable of forming his or her views, these should be given due attention, in accordance with the childs age and maturity. Other conventions of interest include Optional protocol to the convention on rights of child on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and Optional protocol to the convention on rights of child on the involvement of children in armed conflict both adopted in May, 2000. India and its International commitments India has ratified six ILO conventions  [13]  relating to child labour but have not ratified the core ILO conventions on minimum age for employment (convention 138) and the worst forms of child labour, (convention 182) recognised as the core conventions at the international labour conference which makes it mandatory for the international community to follow certain standards in their crusade against child labour. Nevertheless, India has taken commendable steps to eliminate child labour. The recent right of children to free and compulsory education Act, 2009 and the preceding 86th amendment exemplifies the same. Furthermore, the passing of Juvenile Justice (care and protection) Act, 2006 shows Indias commitment to a human rights approach to child labour. The Act emphasises on looking into the best interests of the child and allows for social reintegration of child victims. In such a scenario India not signing the core labour conventions does not make a difference in the fight against child labour. India is a party to the UN  declaration on the Rights of the Child 1959. India is also a signatory to the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. More, importantly India ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 12 November 1992.  [14]   Other important international initiatives against child labour include the adoption of the first Forced Labor Convention (ILO, No. 29), 1930, Stockholm Declaration and Agenda for Action: States that a crime against a child in one place is a crime anywhere, 1996, establishment of 12 June as the World Day Against Child Labor in 2002 by ILO and the first global economic study on the costs and benefits of elimination of child labour.  [15]   Indian laws on child labour The present regime of laws in India relating to child labour are consistent with the International labour conference resolution of 1979 which calls for combination of prohibitory measures and measures for humanising child labour wherever it cannot be immediately outrun.  [16]   In 1986 Child labour (Prohibition and regulation) Act was passed, which defines a child as a person who has not completed 14 years of age. The act also states that no child shall be employed or permitted to work in any of the occupations set forth in Part A or in the process set forth in Part B, except in the process of family based work or recognised school based activities. Through a notification dated 27 January 1999, the schedule has been substantially enlarged to add 6 more occupations and 33 processes to schedule, bringing the total to 13 occupations and 51 processes respectively. The government has amended the civil service (conduct) rules to prohibit employment of a child below 14 years by a government employee. Similar changes in state service rules have also been made. The framers of the Indian Constitution consciously incorporated relevant provisions in the constitution to secure compulsory primary education as well as labour protection for children. If the provisions of child labour in international conventions such as ILO standards and CRC are compared with Indian standards, it can be said that Indian constitution articulates high standards in some respects The constitution of India, under articles 23,24, 39 ( c) and (f), 45 and 21A guarantees a child free education, and prohibits trafficking and employment of children in factories etc. The articles also protect children against exploitation and abuse. Equality provisions in the constitution authorises affirmative action policies on behalf of the child. The National child labour policy (1987) set up national child labour projects in areas with high concentration of child labour in hazardous industries or occupations, to ensure that children are rescued from work and sent to bridge schools which facilitate mainstreaming. It is now recognised that every child out of school is a potential child labour and most programs working against child labour tries to ensure that every child gets an education and that children do not work in situations where they are exploited and deprived of a future. Similarly, there are other programmes like National authority for elimination of child labour, 1994 (NAECL) and National resource centre on child labour, 1993 (NRCCL). Recently, government of India notified domestic child labour, and child labour in dhabas, hotels, eateries, spas and places of entertainment as hazardous under the child labour (prohibition and regulation) Act, 1986, effective from 10-10-2006. National human rights commission has played an important role in taking up cases of worst forms of child labour like bonded labour. In 1991 in a silk weaving village of Karnataka called Magdi it held an open hearing which greatly sensitised the industry and civil societies. It also gave rise to new NCLP programmes.  [17]   Judicial reflections Judiciary in India has taken a proactive stand in eradicating child labour. In the case of M.C. Mehta v. State of Tamil Nadu and Ors  [18]  , this Court considered the causes for failure to implement the constitutional mandate vis-à  -vis child labour. It was held that the State Government should see that adult member of family of child labour gets a job. The labour inspector shall have to see that working hours of child are not more than four to six hours a day and it receives education at least for two hours each day. The entire cost of education was to be borne by employer. The same was reiterated in Bandhua Mukti Morcha v.UOI  [19]  and directions were given to the Government to convene meeting of concerned ministers of State for purpose of formulating policies for elimination of employment of children below 14 years and for providing necessary education, nutrition and medical facilities. It was observed in both the case that it is through education that the vicious cycle of poverty and child labour can be broken. Further, well-planned, poverty-focussed alleviation, development and imposition of trade actions in employment of the children must be undertaken. Total banishment of employment may drive the children and mass them up into destitution and other mischievous environment, making them vagrant, hard criminals and prone to social risks etc. Immediate ban of child labour would be both unrealistic and counter-productive. Ban of employment of children must begin from most hazardous and intolerable activities like slavery, bonded labour, trafficking, prostitution, pornography and dangerous forms of labour and the like.  [20]   Also, in case of PUCL v. UOI and Ors  [21]  children below 15 years forced to work as bonded labour was held to be violative of Article 21 and hence the children were to be compensated. The court further observed that such a claim in public law for compensation for contravention of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the protection of which is guaranteed in the Constitution, is an acknowledged remedy for enforcement and protection of such rights. However, Human rights experts criticise the scheme of payment of compensation envisage in Child labour act and further adopted by the Judiciary with gusto.  [22]  They say that monetary compensation is like washing away ones conscious which still believes that if a child labour is sent to school he must be compensated for the amount which he might have got if he had worked instead. This only confuses the already divided opinion of the society today which still thinks that poor and needy children are better off working. Conclusions India has done well in enacting suitable legislations and policies to combat child labour. Nonetheless, its implementation at grass root level is very much lacking. The child labour laws today are like a scarecrow which does not eliminate child labour but only shifts it geographically to other places, to other occupations like agriculture which may be less paying or it might be still continued clandestinely.  [23]  The lack of a specialised enforcement officer leads to lesser attention being given to child labour legislations. Furthermore, many of the child labour programmes remain poorly funded. Child labour is a complex problem which cannot be eliminated without first attacking it at the roots. Thus, poverty, unemployment, lack of social security schemes, illiteracy and the attitude of society need to be tackled first before any progress can be made. A starting point can be to treat Child labour as a human rights problem and discouraging its manifestation in any form. If the society as such sees child labour as a social malaise, we will be much closer at achieving success. Lastly, there is a lot of debate over the age from which child labour should be banned. The ILO conventions do not give a definite age, 14 years seems to be the general understanding but CRC defines a child to be below 18 years. Right to education is for children below 14 years and Child labour is prohibited till age of 14 years. This brings the question as to whether children of age 14-18 years are to be denied basic human rights and are to be left vulnerable.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essays --

Bipolar disorder is classified as a chronic illness that may require a life-long treatment plan to keep under control. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive disorder. A person that has bipolar disorder can experience drastic variations in their moods ranging from manic highs to depressive lows. Bipolar experiences can vary all depending on the individual. Through this paper we will look at the influences, causes, symptoms, and treatments of this disease. Over two million Americans are diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This rise in diagnosis of bipolar disorder is contributed to the inaccurate diagnosis of this disease. To begin to understand bipolar disorder, knowing the two main categories Bipolar I and Bipolar II is a must. Bipolar I disorder is the state of this disease where the individual diagnosed has high depressive manic cycles. The individual displays feelings of increased socialization, talkativeness, self-importance, and impulsivness. People experiencing this manic-depressive state often sleep for a few hours. This sleep deprivation can cause these individual's depression to spike causeing them to be very angry and irritable. Patients with Bipolar II display a form of mania called hypomania. Unlike Bipolar I, individuals diagnosed with Bipolar II have low energy levels, hypersomnia, and fatigue easily. Bipolar disorder is extremely dynamic in the sense that it does not just affect the individuals mood. Bipolar disorder affects patient's ability to manage feelings, it takes a toll on their mind and body, and bipolar disorder makes it extremely difficult to cope with everyday life. This disease causes major psychological pressure. Bipolar disorder does not discriminate among race, ge... ...isodes. In other cases, episodes can be directly related showing seasonal patterns. These cases are called "rapid cyclers" meaning four episodes within twelve months. In patients with Bipolar I the disease usually starts with a manic episode. The manic episodes that the individual has outweighs the depressive episodes. In Bipolar II patients suffer from sever depression. They might undergo slight manic episodes, but depressive episodes do outweigh them. In mixed states depressive and manic symptoms occur simultaneously in rapid successions. Bipolar disorder can be life threatening due to the extreme mood swings between the sense of hapiness or despair and grief. The continuous alteration between episodes makes it profoundly difficult to deal with everyday normal life and situations. This can cause an increased risk of suicide in bipolar disorder patients.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Piracy Protections in Entertainment Venues

At issue in the twenty-first century is the trade-off between the necessity of writers, musicians, artists, and movie studios to profit from their work and the free flow of ideas for the public benefit. Movie (and music) industry participants claim that encryption programs are necessary to prevent piracy. Others, however, including the defendants in cases such as Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Corley, 273 F. 3d 429 (2d Cir. 2001), argue that the law should at least allow purchasers of movies, music, and books in digital form to make limited copies for fair use.Piracy is a long debated issue, expressly in the entertainment industry. It is argued that encryption programs are necessary to prevent piracy, protecting the rights of artists as well as production agents. Yet, an important query on this matter still remains; the question of public benefit and free flowing ideas for purchasers wanting limited copies in digital form. Yet the rights of the artists and producers still remains le aving the question of copyright violation, the idea behind encryption is valid but only to a certain aspect.Piracy will not be able to be brought to an end so hastily as long as the motivation to do so still remains, that is the real problem behind this debate. The purchasers should be allowed to make a limited number of copies as a fair use policy. If a purchaser fairly buys rights to a product they should be allowed to make copies for themselves via modes of laptop and other digital other issues relating to the consumer as well, which may result in this idea to be more counterproductive instead of beneficial.Instead of using encryption it may be more productive in the long run to educate purchasers of a product about piracy. The costs of products such as DVD’s and BLU-RAY copies has steadily increased causing a lot of consumers to make do with cheaper and pirated versions of products. As a user of these products this is something that resonates deeply. Many companies are be ginning to include Digital HD with the purchase of a product; meaning that a user receives a redemption code that in turn allows them to download digital copies for personal use.Therefore if someone were to purchase a copy of a product it would be beneficial to all parties involved to come to a certain agreement maintaining the balance of rights for both groups. Allowing rights of digital copies to paying users helps maintain balance and benefits all parties involved; solving the issue of copyright violation for producers and artists and fair use to the consumers who purchase the product.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Healthcare Professional Career: Licensed Vocational Nurse

A Licensed Vocational Nurse carries out the following: First of all, an LVN takes care of the individuals who are suffering from injuries, sicknesses, disabilities, and even those who are on their way to recovery (US.., 2006).They do the aforementioned though based on the physicians’, as well as, registered nurses’ instructions (US.., 2006). Secondly, they are responsible for checking the patient’s blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and other vital signs (US.., 2006). Third, it is also an LVN’s responsibility to change wound dressings, check catheters, manage bedsores, provides alcohol massages, as well as, to inject patients (US.., 2006). Fourth, an LVN is also accountable for a patient’s allergic reactions to any medication or treatment provided for by the health care institution (US.., 2006). Fifth, it is an LVN’s task to carry out laboratory tests or gather samples for testing, feed patients, and note down the intake of food and fluid, as well as, the number of times the patient’s urinated and defecated (US.., 2006).   Sixth, it is the LVN’s function to oversee the patient’s personal hygiene as well (US.., 2006). The LVN ought to help out a patient when taking a bath, dressing up, etc (US.., 2006). Seventh, LVN’s oversee patients who are about to take in prescribed medicines or intravenous fluids, however, this is only a function of LVNs in selected States where it is permissible to do so (US.., 2006). Eighth, they also provide assistance in the delivery, as well as, feeding of babies (US.., 2006). Ninth, LVNs can take charge and direct nursing assistants and aides but such task is only delegated to those LVNs who are considered to be experienced (US.., 2006). Tenth, LVNs are also in charge of assessment of needs of the patients, development of care plans, supervision of nursing aides, organization of patients’ records, setting of appointments, and other responsibilities which are categorically clerical (US.., 2006). Personal Qualities and Abilities Needed for Success An LVN who intends to become successful should have the following personal qualities and abilities: 1) exceedingly caring; 2) extremely sympathetic; 3) emotionally stable; 4) can keep up with continuous stress; 5) enthusiastic; 6) very devoted; 7) decision-making skills; 8) good communication skills; 9) flexibility in taking orders of supervisors; 10) positive outlook in life; 11) extreme patience; 12) etc   (US.., 2006). Educational Requirements An LVN is necessitated to accomplish a practical nursing program from any State-approved learning institution (US.., 2006). A future LVN should pass the following subjects: anatomy, basic nursing concepts, drug administration, medical nursing, nutrition, obstetrics, pediatrics, physiology, psychiatric, surgical nursing, etc (US.., 2006). A soon-to-be LVN should also undergo a clinical practice in the hospital or any other health care institution (US.., 2006). It should be kept in mind that such clinical practice should be supervised (US.., 2006). Also, it should be noted that typically, a high school diploma is asked for before admission to the program aforementioned (US.., 2006). Licensure, Certification and/ or Requirements The following are the requirements necessitated for LVNs to qualify from the licensing exam technically referred to as NCLEX-ON (US.., 2006). Possible Places of Employment There are vacancies for LVNs in the following: 1) hospitals; 2) nursing homes; 3) offices of doctors; 4) home health care services; 5) homes for the aged/elderly; 6) educational services or institutions; 7) outpatient care health institutions; 8) Federal agencies; and 9) state agencies (US.., 2006). Advancement Opportunities LVNs have a lot of advancement opportunities and some of these are the following: 1) LVNs can supervise nursing aides and even other LVNs (US.., 2006). This is especially allowed in nursing homes/nursing care facilities (US.., 2006). 2) LVNs can undergo training programs to promote himself or herself and become a Registered Nurse (US.., 2006). Wages, Benefits, Standard Payroll Deductions LVNs working at the doctor’s office earn approximately 30K per year, while those who serve at surgical hospitals earn about 33K per year, those involved in home health care services earn about 35K per year, while those in the nursing care facilities are given about 35.5K, and last but not least, those who are in the employment services earn almost 42K per year (US.., 2006). Benefits include the following: 1) annual leave; 2) holidays; 3) retirement; 4) social security; 5) dental & medical plan; 6) long-term disability plan; 7) life insurance; 8) credit union; 9) deferred compensation; 10) bilingual pay; 11) night shift differential; 12) etc (US.., 2006). Standard payroll deductions include: taxes, social security, etc (US.., 2006). Job Outlook for the Future Projected Employment in CALIFORNIA It is said that the job outlook in California is superior and there will be an increase in the employment rate because of the fact that the number of population for the elderly continuous to increase (Licensed.., 2007). Preparing for an Interview I will prepare myself for an interview by making sure to keep the following in mind: 1) know more about the health care institution where I am applying at to add to my credibility; 2) dress up professionally and presentably; 3) practice answering typical interview questions; 4) find people who will serve as my references that will surely sell me to potential employers; 5) bring my resume, driver’s license, social security and other pertinent documents; 6) sell myself by proudly and confidently stating my strengths, abilities, etc; and 7) say thank you to the person who provided me with the opportunity to be interviewed (Ten.., 2007). References Licensed Vocational Nurse California. (2007). Retrieved April 17, 2007 from http://education-portal.com/licensed_vocational_nurse_california.html Ten Tips on Preparing for a Job Interview. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-job-interview/11120-2.html US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2006). Licensed Vocational Nurses. Retrieved April 17, 2007 from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos102.htm

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Reaction Paper on Ccps Staged Reading Essays

Reaction Paper on Ccps Staged Reading Essays Reaction Paper on Ccps Staged Reading Essay Reaction Paper on Ccps Staged Reading Essay Labfest which is a festival for new plays, untried, untested, unpublished and unstaged. It is done by virgin playwrights or first-time playwrights, first-time writers or also known as extra-virgins and born-again virgins or the professional writers with new works. The plays are selected from different scripts sent by writers from all over the country. Virgin Labfest is held at The Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 6, 2013 and Virgin Labfest is now running on its ninth year and proving to be one of the most successful theater festivals.To train aspiring writers Virgin Labfest created its own writing fellowship with a two-week mentorship programs on the study and practice of dramatic writing on the stage. The fellows have lectures, discussions and workshops on playwriting and script critiquing. The Fellowship Program culminated a staged reading of the fellows’ works at the CCP Bulwagang Amado Hernadez. The event is free and open to the public. There were 10 short plays directed by Dennis Marasigan and will be performed by amateur and professional theater actors. The 10 short plays are: 1. Ang Gintong Aral ni Ma’am Zeny  by  Tyron Judes D.Casumpang 2. Final Interview  by  Christian M. Dagsil 3. Kalayaan  by  Christa I. De La Cruz 4. Ungentlemanly Behavior  by  John Carlo Dulu 5. Kung Paano Magsintas ng Sapatos  by  Janina Faith Gacosta 6. Bago Magkaroon ng Panibagong Mundo  by  Sherina Mae Inza-Cruz 7. Pabaon  by  Levine Andro Lao 8. Ang mga Nakatatawid sa Asin  by  Lorenzo Elias Lopez 9. Drop Zone  by  Miyo Sta. Maria 10. Ang Huling Stage Reading ni Romulo Dulah  by  Christian Ubana Tordecillas These short plays that were featured are the results of the mentorship program by the award-winning playwright, Glen Sevilla Mas.As part of the Speech and Stage Arts class we were required to watch the Stage Reading of the fellows and critique them. At first, I was just expecting a simple presentation. From the word itself, stage reading, I was thinking of a group of people handling scripts and reading it as accompanied with variety of emotions. But I was surprised when we enter the Bulwagang Amado Hernandez and asked my classmates who were also there, if why there were props on the stage. They said that we will be watching plays more than we expected.The plays took only 10 to 15 minutes act on the stage and the title were announced before the play. Every part had a set of three to four different plays and the title of each play was announced before the play. I was not able to get the full title and just put something like â€Å"Adobo† or key words on my notes so I can remember them. The first play was â€Å"Ang Pabaon† by Levin Andro Lao. It was a good play but it is somehow a common story and with a predictable ending. But the thing that made it unique was the concept of Adobo that added a taste to the story. There were two characters in the play; ‘Buboy’ and the mother.Buboy as he portrayed his role, he was a bit monotonous and he used almost the same gestures and facial expressions. The mother although she is very young, her actions really fit her role as an old woman. The thing that distracted me with the mother was her way of pronouncing the letter ‘S’. she mispronounced ‘S’ as ‘Sh’, and because of that some of her words were not delivered clearly and I can’t understand some of the words that she said. Next was â€Å"Ang Gintong Aral ni Ma’am Zeny† by Tyron Judes D. Casumpang. The story was very extraordinary; the very first act that the man produced really showcased the whole 10 minute play.As we have studied in our class, I remember that a powerful voice at first will still the emotions of the audience as I have experienced that time. The man who played as the policeman and the former student of Ma’am Zeny really had a good quality of voice, powerful impact, variety of tone based on the emotions and expressions. The woman who portrayed the role of Ma’am Zeny has a soft voice but with much of emotions expressed, with the way she spoke mildly and calmly, I as one of the audiences felt moved by her emotions and facial gestures.I would also like to commend the plot of the story that it became a mysterious act of what would she do to the kid that was lying on her lap. Lastly, with the kid, it was good because at his age, he can really act like a professional artist although his accent does not fit his role. The third play was â€Å"Ang Huling Stage Reading ni Romulo Dulah†Ã‚  by  Christian Ubana Tordecillas. The story was very intriguing, because we can’t really find out where Romulo would go after their stage reading until the time that he said the he will be executed in China. Romulo’s mother as ‘Inahing Manok’ acted very realistic hat she can let her audience feel the sadness that she was feeling at tha t very moment. Vj Serag as ‘Bokbok Manok’ had a different approach in his character. His face looked angry but he was feeling sad and guilty because of Romulo’s situation, he was a little monotonous maybe because of his short dialogues. ‘Soksok Manok’ was a very good actor as he portrayed his character. The audience as the recipient of his emotions really laughed and felt sad because of the way he spoke and his facial expressions that seemed to be very unique. Romulo as the main character gave us the feeling of sadness although he was throwing jokes in his dialogues.I felt like something was hidden within him and it was the loneliness of the character portrayed. All in all the story did amazed me. Next was the story with the title, â€Å"Ungentlemanly Behavior†Ã‚  by  John Carlo Dulu. The title of the story gave me a bit idea of the concept of the play; I said â€Å"maybe it is about a gay. † And I was right! But the thing that did am azed me was the revelation from the father saying that he is a gay and he had a past relationship with the teacher. It was a very funny story because of their dialogues and emotions expressed.The father used variety of tone and pitch, he also used the technique of lowering his voice and then shouting, like the term ‘decrescendo’ in singing. Vj as the teacher expressed very strong emotion of shame and denial because of what the father is saying. He also used appropriate body gestures as he moved back and forth of the staged. For me, it was one of the best stories among the ten plays. The fifth play was â€Å"Ang mga Nakatatawid sa Asin†Ã‚  by  Lorenzo Elias Lopez. The characters were the Lola, the two young man and woman who played as siblings with different parents.At first I thought that the story was all about aswang or supernatural things but as the story went by, it was about the temptation of a man towards a woman. The lola was very oldish in style, she re ally portrayed her character as an old woman with ease. Both of the siblings expressed different variety of voice, tone and gestures. The sixth play was, â€Å"Kalayaan† by Christa I. Delacruz. As I was watching the play, I felt a little discomfort because of the kissing scene of both women. This kind of play should consider the audience, because it had some censored parts.The woman with the short hair produced exaggerated actions that I think inappropriate to her dialogues and with regard to her partner, she was talking mostly in English and some of the words mumbled in her mouth as she was saying those, she had some mispronounced words and she did stutter sometimes. The seventh play was, â€Å"Final Interview† by Christian M. Dagsil. It was a very good story and it really depicted the reality of life. Both Vj and the woman beside her expressed appropriate gestures and used variety of tone and pitch and they have a good quality of voice.But the main character of the s tory named ‘Suzette’ has a very low voice that with the large amount of crowd, the audience at the back was not able to hear what she was saying that time and some of the audience just do murmuring around. With the energy level and the power of the voice of her two co-actors, she was covered up by them. In that sense, she should consider the number of her crowd, she can’t be heard at the back added up by the noise of the air condition. The eighth play was, â€Å"Bago Magkaroon ng Panibagong Mundo† by Sherina Mae Inza-Cruz. The story had the sense of science fiction, because it is about the destruction of the world.The characters are very realistic in acting. Especially in imaginary setting, because they were just imagining that they were in the front of them but in the story they were in a different cubicle talking to one another. The woman who had given the pill to survive had a very good expression and voice quality while the ‘ate’ somehow e xplicit gestures that were not that fitted to her role. The ninth play and one of the best among the 10 stories was, â€Å"Drop Zone† by Miyo Sta. Maria. All of the actors portrayed their roles naturally, and they were all funny.Their voice have a power and strong impact to the audience despite the fact that they were using a sound of a chopper that was quite loud but they did not let the sound cover up their voice. Last but not the least is the story with the title, â€Å"Kung Paano Magsintas ng Sapatos† by Janina Faith Gacosta. The story was a bit simple and it has a predictable ending. But with that matter, the characters did a great job especially the man at his young age, he was able to portray the role of an old man with side acts like cough and loss of breath, he showed variety of emotions and the delivery of the words was very clear.The little boy also did a great job in acting but the volume of his voice was very low and he is slang that was not that appropria te to his character. To sum up, all of the plays have their different characteristics and the characters as well. But with the right variety of tone, volume, pitch, gestures and even emotions, they can really act in front naturally. I think with coherence with our subject, it is very important that we know those factors that will make pour speech or delivery clear and understandable.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Grendel Essays - Grendel, Parallel Literature, Beowulf, Free Essays

Grendel Essays - Grendel, Parallel Literature, Beowulf, Free Essays Grendel Grendel is an unhappy soul in John Gardners book Grendel, because he feels useless in society and doesnt want to accept his given role. Throughout this whole book Grendel feels he has no friend in the outside word and no one to except him besides his own mother. He doesnt want to except his role in society which is to be the Great Destroyer. Man creates a huge problem in Grendels life and has had a major effect on the way he lives with man. Grendel is unhappy in many ways. He wants to be accepted by man but never knew why he was always shunned out of there society. Grendel in the beginning never set out to hurt man just understand him. When Grendel shows up the first time in the mead hall he yells Mercy! Peace! But no one even gives him a chance when he walks in holding a dead body and using it for protection against the drunken men swinging axes and swords at him. Grendel dose not understand this as he says they were doomed, I knew, and I was glad. showing the hope for destruction of the human race. In Grendels eyes humans are going to destroy themselves and he will be glad when it happens. Grendel is very lonely in the world of man. He has only one person close to him and that is his mother. She cares for Grendel but just with the natural motherly instincts which Grendel sees as mechanical. Grendel doesnt understand, Why cant I have someone to talk to? as the world starts to look darker in his eyes. Animals of all sorts are enemies of his because they dont understand him. Grendel is more superior Grendels role in society is to be the great destroyer. The Dragon tells Grendel this You improve them, my boy! You stimulate them! but Grendel dose not want to except it. HE want to be part of the humanistic world. He want a different role in society. This makes Grendel very unhappy that he cannot be accepted. The Dragon puts a spell on Grendel that lets weapons not harm him. At first he dose not like this because he thinks that the fun of destroying men would be to easy at this point. He starts to grow into this though and plays his role as the great destroyer. This book shows how Grendel put up with man and learned to adapt to the humanistic ways of life. It took him a while to adapt but he did find it fun to reck the humans world. Since he was not excepted he would have to take the role of the great destroyer at the end of the story.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Crude Awakening to a Ceaseless Dependency in Oil

Crude Oil: It penetrates investor's mind and is increasingly contributing to their fatal dependence. Crude oil: Although it is low cost, it costs money in terms of war, loss of life, and social, social and economic confusion. Crude Oil: We are trying to own Black Gold. What was the beginning of a new traditional product is now a support system for all people. It creates a fantasy that completely changes life, a life without work, a free life, which is the spirit of anesthesia, a vague vision, a source of corruption. Quality in the sea One barrel of crude oil is a hard asset. Even if you are not in the oil industry, you can exchange the oil barrel in the market and exchange goods. However, the value of crude oil is not essential. Hundreds of years ago, before the invention of an engine that could use oil as a fuel, the value of crude oil was zero. One day, if the solar energy becomes cheap enough, the value of crude oil may approach zero again. At the same time, fluctuations in crude oil prices are influenced by current supply-demand situation and prediction of future supply-demand situation. Crude oil, commonly referred to as petroleum, is a liquid on the earth, composed of hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and small amounts of metal. Hydrocarbon is usually the main component of crude oil, its composition varies depending on the type of crude oil and extraction method, but it varies between 50% and 97%. Organic compounds such as nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur normally make up 6% to 10% of the crude oil and metals such as copper, nickel, vanadium and iron account for less than 1% of the total composition. Crude oil is the most common petroleum product in spilled oil. Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and small amounts of sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and minor amounts of inorganic and organometallic compounds. There are three kinds of hydrocarbons, alkane, alkene, and aromatic. Low concentrations of alkanes can cause anesthesia and anesthesia as well as hi gh concentrations of cell damage and death in marine invertebrates. Olefins are usually not included in crude oil, but are included in refined products such as gasoline. Gasoline is more toxic than alkane, but it is less toxic than aromatic. Aromatic hydrocarbons are not common in nature, but they kill marine organisms not only at maximum intensity but also at dilute concentrations. Aromatic hydrocarbons are the most direct toxic component in oils (Boesch, Hershmer et al., 1974).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Consumer Behaviour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Behaviour - Assignment Example 87) the market situation analysis of Nestle shows: Sales- It holds the first position in selling foods. It makes major profits from the sales of food products alone, this year sales rose to 67.6 billion swiss francs which were only 60.9 billion francs last year. Also it’s the world leader in manufacturing coffee. The first three months of 2013 shows that the company’s sales rose to 21.9 billion Swiss francs from the last year but it failed to meet the expected sales which are 22.5 billion Swiss francs. Competitors-Nestle give good competition to most of the fmcg brands like Kraft Foods Inc., Unilever plc. , P & G, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Heinz etc. Its huge range of diversified products makes it a strong contender in the fmcg & food sector (Express, 2012). Market Share- It’s the market leader in the coffee & mineral water segment. The table below displays the sales & market shares in the year 1992, of different companies- (Source: Pagell and Halperin 1999, p. 195) Pr oduct Range- The product range includes bottled waters, chocolates, cereals, dairy, coffee, drinks, food, ice-creams purina pet care etc. It puts more emphasis on the taste & nutrition content of the product & therefore it ends up fixing slightly higher prices than its competitors. Creating pet foods makes it a unique brand which not only cares for humans but also it shows significant care to the pets. Its delicious range of hot chocolate & sausage makes it the number one brand in the food & drink sector. Also the beverage systems offered by the company is used widely throughout the world. (Gilbert, 2013) Markets- It has its presence in the continents of Africa, America, Asia, Australia & Europe, in almost over 80 countries. It customizes its product according to the place where it’s being sold. More or less every household contains a product of this brand. 2. Target Market Customer base of Nestle ranges from middle income groups to higher income groups, from kids to adults, from the health conscious to the junk food eaters because Nestle’s products serve various day to day needs of a person. 3. Social Influences on Buying Behaviour PERSONAL FACTORS Age serves as an important factor for the products and services of the firm. Nestle’s consumer range includes adults, aged people, teenagers as well as kids below 12 years. Due to the brands all over presence across the world, its customer base includes people from various race, religion and ethnicity. These things affect the consumer’s food habit to a great extent. The climate, food habits, language, religion, dressing style, income status, etc. falls basically within the wide gamut of geography. For example let’s think about the approach adapted by McDonalds. The well-known fast food chain has got diverse menu for diverse sites across the world. When the firm was asked to state the cause behind the broad range of menus, the firm replied, â€Å"We try to adapt our menu to reflec t different tastes and local traditions for every country in which we have restaurants. We're keen to respect cultural differences and so every country has its own policy of developing menu items†. Moreover consumer behavior depends to a large extent on the education and knowledge of the people, for instance people who are well educated are more concerned about the adverse effects of calorie consumption and thus they would prefer to choose the sugar free chocolate prepared by

H.R.111 Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2011 Research Paper

H.R.111 Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2011 - Research Paper Example The bill aims to ensure that insurance coverage be provided for the inpatient hospital stay for a minimum period post mastectomy and for outpatient stay in lumpectomy. Conflicting arguments prevent a consensus on the bill. On one hand it is claimed that post breast surgery the patient need physical care, guidance as well as psychological counseling. On the other hand researchers provide evidence in favor of ambulatory breast surgery. The current paper presents a comprehensive view of the various aspects of H. R. 111 bill and its impact on nurse’s role if enacted. H.R.111 BREAST CANCER PATIENT PROTECTION ACT OF 2009 BACKGROUND BREAST CANCER Cancer involves formation of lump or ‘tumor’ within a specific organ due to uncontrolled division of cells. Breast cancers effects lobules in breasts and have been defined as â€Å"the cancer of tissues of the breast, usually the ducts and lobules. It occurs in both male and female breast; although male breast cancer is rareâ⠂¬ . (National Cancer Institute, 2011) Breasts are modified skin glands located between the clavicles and sixth to eighth rib on the chest wall, and develop from the mammary ridge in the embryo. The gland tissue or lobules in the breast are responsible for milk production and are connected by ducts to the nipples. Besides the lobules and the ducts, breast also comprises of fatty, connective and lymphatic tissue. Recent studies provide evidence for the presence of more than 20 lobes or segments comprising of major lactiferous ducts involved in conducting milk to the nipples from the lobules. Each lobule, also known as the terminal portion of the duct system; comprises of multiple ductules that form its glandular acini, and the specialized connective tissue enveloping it. The rest of the breast comprises of stromal connective tissues that are histologically distinct. The terminal duct along with its lobular unit; is termed as terminal duct lobular unit (TDLU), and is usually the poin ts of origin of lung cancer. It has been hypothesized that this area possesses stem cells which are responsible for the tumor formation (Kopans, 2007). In situ breast cancer includes cancers restricted to ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS), and lobules (lobular carcinoma in situ or LCIS); i.e. the tumor remains within its place of origin. In contrast invasive cancer refers to tumor spread beyond the place of origin, the severity of which is determined by the level of invasiveness. The cancers are diagnosed through needle or surgical biopsy. INCIDENCES OF BREAST CANCER Breasts cancers are the second most prevalent form of cancer next to skin cancer affecting women in US. During the year 2008, 40,480 women and 450 men were reported to have died from breast cancer. In the same year 182,460 and 1990 new cases of invasive breast cancer were reported for women and men respectively. With changes in life style patterns, and reproductive behavior the risks for occurrence of breast canc er are expected to rise. On the basis of data for the occurrence of breast cancer in the period spanning 1995-2007, it has been estimated that during the year 2011 a total of 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 75,650 additional cases of in situ breast cancer will be diagnosed. Further 39,520 women are expected to suffer death due to breast cancer making it the second major cancer in terms of mortality (next to lung cancer). Women become more vulnerable to breast cancer with advancing age; the threat rising sharply

Write a letter advocating for ARNPs in Florida to have or not to have Essay

Write a letter advocating for ARNPs in Florida to have or not to have the right to prescribe controlled substances - Essay Example To clarify further the website of Florida Board of Nursing clearly mentions under section FAQ that a nurse practitioner cannot prescribe controlled substance. The ARNP’s here illegally prescribing controlled substance by forgery of signature of physicians and by using their DEA number. This kind of irresponsible behaviour of issuing controlled substance even to the teenagers in our locality by few ARNP’s can lead to irreparable loss to society by affecting the health of its members. Excess and uncontrolled dosage of substance abuse negatively impacts physical and psychological health of an individual and even result to death. This kind of substance abuse has its impact on society also as the individual under substance use often encourage others to take up the same. I will appreciate if you consider the issue reported in the letter. I would like to be sent information on the investigation done if it does not violate any rules or regulation. For any further information please contact me on (111) 111-1111 or

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Criminal Justice System Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Criminal Justice System - Term Paper Example Even though, the administration is toothed with an exhaustive power to trace and punish criminals, many procedures have been set out by the American Constitution like right to engage a counsel , right to remain silence , right to appeal, etc. for an accused. The main intention of a criminal law is to safeguard society. One of the famous maxims about criminal law is that the punishment must fit the crime. Thus, this research study helps to evaluate what a criminal system is, a comparison between traditional and contemporary policing, legal, diversity and ethical issues associated with American criminal Justice System and about its intricacies in detail. [Summers &Hoffman, 2002, p.173]. Criminal justice system consists of a great number of actors executing different jobs like judges, police officers, probation officers, bondsman, etc. Each player in criminal justice system requires to gain assistance and cooperation of the other actors by assisting those players to accomplish their objectives. The federal system of the United States is founded on the substratum notion that the states administer the principal responsibility for criminal justice and hence , criminal justice is the nucleus of state and not national responsibility .[Barkow,2003,p.33]. Currently, there is no single criminal justice system in U.S.A as different states follow many systems that are identical but individually distinctive. However, court findings are based on the due process of justice that is guaranteed by the U.S constitution which is responsible for the administration of criminal justice. In U.S.A, criminal justice department consists of courts, police and corrections. Under criminal justice system, police performing roles like to look into reported crimes, gathering and safeguarding evidence, arresting the offenders and helping the prosecution that offenders get proper punishment and to keep law and order in the society. Court decides whether an individual is an offender or not and award a proper sentence to the offender and to interpret the law wherever it is necessary. Correction system offers protection and care for the convicted and to uphold the safeguards conferred by American constitution. Thus, role of criminal justice system’s functi ons is allocated differently across the state, local and federal governments Traditional Policing Customary policing focuses on individuals who commit crimes, and they will attempt to separate nonoffenders from offenders. One another old myth is that criminology spotlights on the community level. The purpose is not to identify why individual commit a crime but to recognize attributes in cities, neighborhood, nations and states that are responsible for higher magnitude of crime. (Samaha, 2005, p.56). According to

The use of behaviourism theories on a social work case study Essay

The use of behaviourism theories on a social work case study - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the beginnings of social work are focused on the principle of providing aid to the people. There is minimal change in this perception, but it has shifted from the individual reformation to collective views. However, the central purpose remains to be the responsibility of helping the people, whether individually or collectively as one society. The vitality of social work practice has been never more emphasized with the prevalence of change and threats on each and every member of society. The most common concern of this discipline is the alterations of relationships and social institutions such as the family, which greatly affects the children. In response, theorists, psychologists, and social workers continue the study of human behavior and cognition to formulate methods and theories as a foundation for alleviating the effectiveness of social work. The use of the assumptions of behaviourism to empiricism is useful in examining the resul ts of the intervention. This demonstrates that social work practices grounded in this theory help provide better social work measures for both service provider and users. The case for this study is in Case Study No. 2 involving Gemma the 15-year-old daughter of Kitty and Tony and the sister of the nine-year-old Jake. Gemma is from a broken family with an absentee father, who left them after the discovery of Kitty’s extramarital activities with another woman. Gemma was once a promising child with good academic records.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Disparities between races in the legal system Term Paper

Disparities between races in the legal system - Term Paper Example Targeting populations has gone so far as to include pregnant women who are drug addicted, effectively giving them no other recourse than to abort their children rather than risk jail time as services and efforts made post conception are not always considered when incarceration is considered by the legal system. The primary problem with this concept is that it appears to attack African American women over any other race, thus suggesting that the legal system is trying to encourage African American women to abort their children, rather than carrying them to term. The way in which the justice system has developed has encouraged and promoted a continuation of social problems rather than providing relief for those issues through racial profiling that diminishes the credibility of the system.Traffic Stops  Racial profiling is defined by Glover (2009) as â€Å"the use of racial and/or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decisions to stop motorists either in the absence of indicati ons of criminality or in determining who to enforce law against† (p. 11). There is a pervasive habit among law enforcement to stop drivers who appear to fall within the social groups of African American or of Hispanic descent for traffic violations, real or exaggerated, in order to investigate the nature of their business within a specified geographic location. A study done under the supervision of Dr. John Lamberth through Temple University in 1994 showed that the New Jersey police provided for an unfair.... that it appears to attack African American women over any other race, thus suggesting that the legal system is trying to encourage African American women to abort their children, rather than carrying them to term. The way in which the justice system has developed has encouraged and promoted a continuation of social problems rather than providing relief for those issues through racial profiling that diminishes the credibility of the system. Traffic Stops Racial profiling is defined by Glover (2009) as â€Å"the use of racial and/or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decisions to stop motorists either in the absence of indications of criminality or in determining who to enforce law against† (p. 11). There is a pervasive habit among law enforcement to stop drivers who appear to fall within the social groups of African American or of Hispanic descent for traffic violations, real or exaggerated, in order to investigate the nature of their business within a specified geograp hic location. A study done under the supervision of Dr. John Lamberth through Temple University in 1994 showed that the New Jersey police provided for an unfair percentage of traffic stops for people of non-Caucasian groupings. The study showed that â€Å"while African American drivers and Caucasian drivers committed roughly the same percentage of traffic violations, a startling statistic of 73.23% of the drivers stopped were African American drivers, while only 13.5% were of a different race† (Harris, 1999, 265) A Maryland lawsuit involved a defendant by the name of Robert Wilkins, a Harvard Law student, against the police department because he felt that when he was stopped by the police he and his family were unfairly processed and made to wait while drug sniffing drugs were brought to the scene

The use of behaviourism theories on a social work case study Essay

The use of behaviourism theories on a social work case study - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the beginnings of social work are focused on the principle of providing aid to the people. There is minimal change in this perception, but it has shifted from the individual reformation to collective views. However, the central purpose remains to be the responsibility of helping the people, whether individually or collectively as one society. The vitality of social work practice has been never more emphasized with the prevalence of change and threats on each and every member of society. The most common concern of this discipline is the alterations of relationships and social institutions such as the family, which greatly affects the children. In response, theorists, psychologists, and social workers continue the study of human behavior and cognition to formulate methods and theories as a foundation for alleviating the effectiveness of social work. The use of the assumptions of behaviourism to empiricism is useful in examining the resul ts of the intervention. This demonstrates that social work practices grounded in this theory help provide better social work measures for both service provider and users. The case for this study is in Case Study No. 2 involving Gemma the 15-year-old daughter of Kitty and Tony and the sister of the nine-year-old Jake. Gemma is from a broken family with an absentee father, who left them after the discovery of Kitty’s extramarital activities with another woman. Gemma was once a promising child with good academic records.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

3a ICT edexcel Essay Example for Free

3a ICT edexcel Essay I have a mobile phone which I use to communicate. I use it for texting and calling people. My phone has Wi-Fi, Quad-band, infra-red and Bluetooth. I use my phone nearly everyday. It has messaging, games, the internet, a camera, a video recorder, music organiser, alarm diary, calendar, a contact diary, so that I don not have to remember peoples number and some safety features such as a pin so that if it gets stolen it is not useable. I think that my phone is good but it is difficult to use because I does not have the internet which is a disadvantage but the advantage is it does what I need it to do. It meets these needs by allowing me to communicate and it but other things such as walkie-talkies and laptops would be able to do exactly the same thing and they have no tariffs and lower radiation. Disadvantages A phone can give you brain and head damages because of the radiation, bad eyesight; bad hearing and they are quite expensive. There are also high tariffs and while you are using one makes it harder to concentrate on other important things. Internet We use the internet for many things such as research, playing online games and downloading music. There are millions of sites and search providers that give you easy access to any information that I might need. I can also download files from the internet using a sharing system. Disadvantages The major disadvantages of the internet are the decline in the number of people that go to the library and also the amount of unwanted information that is on the internet. Another thing is that it might get overloaded with information Email / MSN E-mail is the most widely used service from the Internet today. It allows people to send and receive Emails from anywhere in the world. It is much faster than normal post and it is also cheaper. To use it you need an internet connection. This is the same with MSN but on MSN you use instant messaging which means you know that people will receive your email straight away if they are online too. Disadvantages The disadvantages of email are that you can always have a better version, and also if you are just emailing then it may take some time for the recipitant to reply. The disadvantage with MSN is that it gets annoying when people constantly IM you when you are trying to do other things and it also uses up a lot of space to the memory. Personal Ipod Video Uses I use my Ipod every day to listen to songs, play games and watch videos. I also have a contact list on there so if I forget my phone I will still have people numbers. My ipod holds up to 30GB of songs or videos or games. Disadvantages The earphone can give you a perforated eardrum and the quality of the screen is not as good as a TV and the battery life does not last long. Computers Uses I use computers for loads of things, including emailing, listening to music, watching videos, working and communicating using the internet which lets me get any information that I need. I use my computer every day. Disadvantages My computer takes time to load up and it has to stay stationary unlike a laptop. It does not have much memory which makes it slow to download and upload files. However it meets my needs as I am able to do the things I bought it for. Other major disadvantages are that: its expensive, you need to learn how to use it, it is often slow, it uses a lot of electricity and there is always a better and cheaper version of your computer that comes out after you have bought yours. Psp The Psp is a games system which plays games and videos using UMDs (united media disks). It also can store music and pictures so it doubles as a memory stick. It meets my needs by allowing me to access the internet and email people like a laptop does and it lets me play games portably. However the Nintendo Ds does the same thing just as well and it has the advantage of being able to move while using the internet. Disadvantages The disadvantages of the Psp are that you cannot move while using the internet, you cannot play ps2 games or normal movies on them and you and the games are very flimsy. Also to be able to save things you need a memory card and these cost quite a lot of money especially for a 1GB card. School Microsoft Word Microsoft word is a powerful word processor made by Microsoft used for creating documents such as letters, brochures, learning activities, tests, quizzes and homework assignments. There are many powerful features available in Microsoft Word to make it easier to learn for students with disabilities. I use words mainly for homework as it is easy to use and it can check any spelling mistakes that I make. It meets my needs by allowing me to input information and edit it to make it more presentable. It also lets me create posters and has a drawing toolbar which lets you draw lines and AutoShapes. It also recovers documents if your computer crashes which I find very useful. Disadvantages The disadvantages of Microsoft word are that you have to learn how to use the software before you start because it is quite complex and many of the highlight colours just don not stand out; you are restricted to a single row of custom buttons. Projectors We use projectors in school to be able to show the whole class the work that we are doing or PowerPoints and basically anything that is on the computer. I do not use projectors that much, but it meets the needs of a teacher by making it easier to display the work on the board instead of having to write it. Other things that can be used to do the same job are overhead projectors and Smartboards Disadvantages The disadvantages of a projector are that it is very high up and hard to turn on and use without a remote and the remote is small and very easy to lose. There are also a lot of wires that have to be installed properly and if they are not then the wires are a health and safety hazard and they also look untidy. Smart Boards Uses Smart board are like whiteboards which are connected to the computer by a number of wires. The smart Board interactive whiteboard is a product of SMART Technologies. It is a large, touch-controlled screen that works with a projector and a computer. The projector shows the computers screen onto the Smartboard, which acts as both a monitor and an input device. Users can write on the interactive whiteboard in digital ink or use a finger to control computer applications by pointing, clicking and dragging, just as with a desktop mouse. Buttons launch a popup keyboard and a right-mouse-click menu for more input options. The Smartboard interactive whiteboard in our classroom is on a wall. It meets the need of the teacher like and other whiteboard does but is allows the teacher to control what is written via 2 different inputting devices Disadvantages The disadvantages of a Smartboard are that at first they are difficult to use and can often get frustrating and the board can not be used with any other pen, which means that if you lose one then you cannot use any other coloured as the computer can tell that the pen is gone and will not allow you to change colours. Or if the rubber is out of the pen tray then it will only rub out.

Monday, October 14, 2019

DeLone McLean IS success models

DeLone McLean IS success models DeLone McLean IS success models According to Grover(1996), there is no definition of IS success. Each group of stakeholders who assess IS success in an organization has a different definition. From a software developer’s perspective, a successful information system is completed on time and under budget, has a set of features consistent with specifications, and functions correctly. Users may find an information system successful if it improves their work satisfaction or work performance. From an organizational perspective, a successful information system contributes to the company’s profits or creates a competitive advantage. Furthermore, IS success also depends on the type of system that is evaluated (Seddon et al. 1999, p. 21). IS success had seen different definitions given by many authors. According to Bailey and Pearson (1983) IS success is defined as â€Å"Measuring and analyzing computer user satisfaction is motivated by management’s desire to improve the productivity of information systems.† Authors Goodhue and Thompson (1995, p. 213) had given definition to IS success as â€Å"†¦MIS success ultimately corresponds to what DeLone and McLean (1992) label individual impact or organizational impact. DM reviewed the literature published in 1981-1987 in seven publications to develop a taxonomy of IS success. This taxonomy was based upon Mason’s modification of the Shannon and Weaver model (C.E. Shannon Weaver 1949)ofcommunications which had identified three levels of information: the technical level (accuracy and efficiency of the system that produces it), the semantic level (its ability to transfer the intended message), and the effectiveness level (its impact on the receiver). M ason adapted this theory for IS and expanded the effectiveness level into three categories: receipt of information, influence on the recipient, and influence on the system (R.O. Mason 1978). DM identified categories for system success by mapping an aspect of IS success to each of Mason’s effectiveness levels. This analysis yielded six variables of IS success: System Quality, Information Quality, Use, User Satisfaction, Individual Impact, and Organizational Impact. System Quality was equivalent to the technical level of communication, while Information Quality was equivalent to the semantic level of communication. The other four variables mapped to Mason’s subcategories of the effectiveness level. Use related to Mason’s ‘‘receipt of information.’’ User Satisfaction and Individual Impact were associated with the ‘‘information’s influence on the recipient.’’ Organizational Impact was the ‘‘influ ence of the information on the system.’’ DM developed their initial taxonomy using established theories of communication adapted to IS. These theories suggested that the flow of information was linear; however, they suggested that for IS, these different measures of success were independent, but that there was interdependency among them. Fig. 1 shows the original model. DM suggested that researchers should use this model in a predictive manner, yet they cautioned that one must measure and/ or control each of the variables in the model to ensure a complete understanding of IS success. DM called upon others to validate their model .† In order to provide a more general and comprehensive definition of IS success that covers these different points of view, DeLone and McLean (1992) reviewed the existing definitions of IS success and their corresponding measures, classifying them into six major categories. They created a multidimensional measuring model with interdependencies between the different success categories. The original DM IS success model According to DeLone and McLean (1992), measurement of IS success is critical for understanding the value and efficacy of IS management actions and IS investments. One of the most important and popular works on IS success model is the DeLone and McLean model (DM IS success model). DeLone and McLean proposed in 1992 a taxonomy and an interactive model as the frameworks for conceptualizing IS success. Driven by the need of a process to understand IS and its impacts, they developed a multi-dimension integrated view of IS success model. DeLone and McLean (1992) comprehensively reviewed IS success measures and concluded with a model of interrelationships between six IS success variable categories: (1) system quality, (2) information quality, (3) IS use, (4) user satisfaction, (5) individual impact, and (6) organization impact (see Fig. 1). This model makes two important contributions to the understanding of IS success. First, it provides a scheme for categorizing the multitude of IS success measures which have been used in the research literature. Second, it suggests a model of temporal and causainterdependencies between the categories (McGill, Hobbs, Klobas, 2003; Seddon, 1997). Since 1992, a number of studies have undertaken empirical investigations of the multidimensional relationships among the measures of IS success. Seddon and Kiew (1994) tested part of the DeLone and McLean (1992) model using a structural equation model. They replaced â€Å"use† with â€Å"usefulness† and added a new variable called â€Å"user involvement,† and their results partially supported the DeLone and McLean (1992) model. The description and examples of measures for these six dimensions are: First, system quality denotes system performance like data accuracy, system efficiency, response time, etc. Second, information quality refers to the quality of the IS product, such as currency, relevance, reliability, and completeness. Third, use refers to the frequency an information system is used, examining items like the number of functions used, frequency of access, and amount of connect time. Fourth, user satisfaction records the satisfaction level as reported by system users, including overall satisfaction and satisfaction of interface, etc. Fifth, individual impact refers to measuring the impacts brough t about by the information system on individual users, such as changes in productivity, decision model, and decision making. Sixth, organizational impact requires the evaluation of the changes caused by the information system to the organization, such as decrease in operating cost, savings in labor costs, and growth in profits. This original model identified six interrelated dimensions of IS success. It suggested that the success can be represented by the system quality, the output information quality, consumption (use) of the output, the user’s response (user satisfaction), the effect of the IS on the behavior of the user (individual impact), and the effect of the IS on organizational performance organizational impact). This model provided a scheme for classifying the multitude of IS success measures and suggested the temporal and causal interdependencies between the six dimensions. Motivated by DeLone and McLean’s call for further development and validation of their model, many researchers have attempted to extend or respecify the original model. A number of researchers claim that the DM IS success model is incomplete. They suggest that more dimensions should be included in the model, or present alternative success. Other researchers focus on the application and validation of the model (Rai et al. 2002). Following the Seddon’s extension of Delone McLean IS success model in 1997 into partial behavioural model of IS use and IS process model for IS success, Garrity and Sanders (1998) further adapted the model taking into account the organisational and sociotechnical systems. The model was further extended by Molla and Licker (2001) to measure e-Commerce success. The New DM IS model Information systems (IS) success is one of the most researched topics in IS literature. De Loneand McLean (1992) become aware of the complex reality that surrounds the identification and definition of the IS success concept. They organize the large number of studies on IS success and present a comprehensive and integrative model. DeLone and McLean, in their study, identify six main dimensions for categorizing the different measures of IS success: system quality, information quality, use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact. They develop an IS success model in which these categories are interrelated, shaping a process construct. Their model proposes that â€Å"system quality and information quality singularly and jointly affect both use and user satisfaction. Additionally, the amount of use can affect the degreeof user satisfaction as well as the reverse being true. Use and user satisfaction are direct antecedents of individual impact; and, lastly, this impact on individual performance should eventually have some organizational impact† (DeLone McLean, 1992) (Figure 2). DeLone and McLean (1992) state that their model is â€Å"an attempt to reflect the interdependent, process nature of IS success†, undertaking to describe the IS success concept and the causes for the success. According to Ballantin other researchers (1996) and Seddon (1997), DeLone and McLean’s work makes several important contributions to the understanding of IS success. First, it consolidates previous research. Second, it provides a scheme for classifying the different measures of IS success that have been proposed in the literature into six dimensions. Third, it suggests a model of temporal and causal interdependencies between the identified categories. Fourth, it makes the first moves to identify different stakeholder groups in the process. Fifth, it has been considered an appropriate base for further empirical and theoretical research. Sixth, it has met general acceptance in the IS community. In the years that followed, several researchers altered or extended the model, while others adapted it for specific applications, such as knowledge management or e-commerce (W.H. DeLone, E.R. McLean 2004) systems. Recognizing these potential improvements over their original model, DM acknowledged these modifications and revised their model accordingly (W.H. DeLone, E.R. McLean 2003). The updated model is shown in Fig. 2. DM also modified their model to address some limitations of the original model. A key addition in the updated model was the inclusion of Service Quality as an additional aspect of IS success (L.F. Pitt, R.T. Watson, C.B. Kavan 1995); it was added because the changing nature of IS required the need to assess service quality when evaluating IS success. DM also recommended assigning different weights to System Quality, Information Quality, and Service Quality depending on the context and application of the model. There has been an intense debate about whether system use is a good measure of IS success. Although some authors (P.B. Seddon 1997) have suggested that it is better to remove system use as an IS success variable, DeLone andMcLean argued that systemusewas an appropriate measure. They asserted that the source of the problem was a too simplistic definition of system use, and that researchers must consider the extent, nature, quality, and appropriateness of it. Simply measuring the amount of time a system is in use is not enough: informed and effective use is an important indication of IS success. The DeLone and McLean Information System Success model, published in 1992, supplies a general framework to measure information systems success through the analysis of six different but interdependent factors: â€Å"system quality† on a technical level, â€Å"information quality† on a semantic level and â€Å"use†, â€Å"user satisfaction†, â€Å"individual impacts† and â€Å"organization impacts† on an effectiveness level. All these factors relate each other both on a temporal and a causal model; in the temporal model we first find system quality and information quality, which characterize an information system when it is just created; in a second stage of this process come use and user satisfaction, which feed or restrain each other and that are strongly influenced by the first two factors; finally, both in a temporal and in a causal way, comes first the individual impact and then the organizational impact, which is not seen as a simple sum of individual impacts but as a complex network of consequences. The generic nature of each of these entities makes the framework suitable for a variety of different information systems and contexts. During the last decade hundreds of articles have been written to confirm or challenge the validity of DeLone and McLean conclusions; in 2003 a new article was written by the same two authors to refine the whole model by taking into account all the suggestions/critiques made to the original article. The primary purpose of the original 1992 DM IS success model was to synthesize previous researches on IS success into a more coherent body of knowledge and to provide guidance to future researchers (DeLone and McLean, 2003). The role of IS has changed and progressed during the last decade. Similarly, academic inquiry into the measurement of IS Although it may be more desirable to measure system benefits in terms of numeric costs (e.g cost savings, expanded markets, incremental additional sales, and time savings), such measures are often not possible because of intangible system impacts and intervening environmental variables that may influence the numbers (T. McGill, V. Hobbs 2003).Therefore, there has been little consensus on how net benefits should be measured objectively and thus they are usually measured by the perceptions of those who use the IS. Therefore, ‘‘perceived system benefits’’ or ‘‘perceived usefulness’’ has been adopted as an important surrogate of IS success (B.H. Wixom, H.J. Watson 2001) The right-hand side of the DeLone and McLean’s model, which assumed linear causality between system use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact, has not been authenticated. Seddon contended that the model was too encompassing and introduced some confusion because it mixed process and causal explanation of IS success. He further argued that system use must precede impacts and benefits, but that it did not cause them. Accordingly, system use would be a behavior that reflects an expectation of system benefits from using an IS and thus would be a consequence of IS success, rather than a determinant of system net benefits. Some empirical surveys (M. Gelderman 1998) also found that the association between system use and system benefit was not statistically significant. System use is necessary but not sufficient to create system benefits. User satisfaction results from the feelings and attitudes from aggregating all the benefits that a person hopes to receive from interaction with the IS (B. Ives, M.H. Olson, J.J. Baroudi 1983). In fact, attitude cannot influence system benefits—on the contrary, perceived system benefits can influence user satisfaction. Therefore, individual impact and net benefits can cause user satisfaction (rather than vice versa). There has been an intense debate about whether system use is a good measure of IS success. Although some authors (P.B. Seddon 1997) have suggested that it is better to remove system use as an IS success variable, DeLone andMcLean argued that systemusewas an appropriate measure. They asserted that the source of the problem was a too simplistic definition of system use, and that researchers must consider the extent, nature, quality, and appropriateness of it. Simply measuring the amount of time a system is in use is not enough: informed and effective use is an important indication of IS success. Although it may be more desirable to measure system benefits in terms of numeric costs (e.g. cost savings, expanded markets, incremental additional sales, and time savings), such measures are often not possible because of intangible system impacts and intervening environmental variables that may influence the numbers (T. McGill, V. Hobbs 2003).Therefore, there has been little consensus on how net benefits should be measured objectively and thus they are usually measured by the perceptions of those who use the IS. Therefore, ‘‘perceived system benefits’’ or ‘‘perceived usefulness’’ has been adopted as an important surrogate of IS success (B.H. Wixom, H.J. Watson 2001) The right-hand side of the DeLone and McLean’s model, which assumed linear causality between system use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact, has not been authenticated. Seddon contended that the model was too encompassing and introduced some confusion because it mixed process and causal explanation of IS success. He further argued that system use must precede impacts and benefits, but that it did not cause them. Accordingly, system use would be a behavior that reflects an expectation of system benefits from using an IS and thus would be a consequence of IS success, rather than a determinant of system net benefits. Some empirical surveys (M. Gelderman 1998) also found that the association between system use and system benefit was not statistically significant. System use is necessary but not sufficient to create system benefits. User satisfaction results from the feelings and attitudes from aggregating all the benefits that a person hopes to receive from interaction with the IS (B. Ives, M.H. Olson, J.J. Baroudi 1983). In fact, attitude cannot influence system benefits—on the contrary, perceived system benefits can influence user satisfaction. Therefore, individual impact and net benefits can cause user satisfaction (rather than vice versa). The measurement of IS success or effectiveness is critical to our understanding of the value and efficacy of IS management and investments (DeLone and McLean, 2003). They have striven to bring both awareness and structure to the â€Å"dependent variable†- IS success in IS research, and the result is the so-called updated DM IS success model (Figure 2). Their major contribution is proposing a taxonomy and an interactive model as frameworks for conceptualizing and operationalizing IS success for future researchers. In response to the progresses in IS applications, DeLone and McLean refined their original model and proposed an updated version in 2003. Service quality was added into the success model, and the individual impact and organizational impact were combined into a single variable named â€Å"net benefits† as shown in Figure 4. To catch up with the advancements of its applications, IS needs not only to provide users information products but also to meet users’. In addition, some researchers (J.J. Baroudi, M.H. Olson, B. Ives 1986) have suggested that user satisfaction causes system use rather than vice versa. Thus, the Delone and McLean’s assertion that system use causes user satisfaction seems to be merely a temporal rather than causal relationship. Many models based on that of DeLone and McLean have been presented. However, they often confuse the independent variable and dependent variables of IS success. ‘‘Technological support’’, ‘‘knowledge strategy or process’’, and ‘‘support and service’’ are three examples of suggested additions but these clearly cause success (rather than being part of it). The variables should be dependent; i.e. surrogate measures for success. DeLone and McLean suggested that the IS success model should include service quality for electronic commerce systems. DeLone McLean (2003) argue that Seddon’s (1997) reformulation of the DeLone McLean (1992) model into two partial variance models (i.e. IS success model and partial behavioural model of IS Use) unduly complicates the success model, and thus assert that System Use or Intention to Use is still an important measure of IS success. Given that Systems Use/Intention to Use is included in their updated IS success model, DeLone McLean (2003; 2004), however, did not attempt to reconcile their model with Seddon’s (1997) Perceived Usefulness measure and Davis’s (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that explains system use behaviour. Thus, there is a need for research to combine the updated DM model with Seddon’s (1997) Perceived Usefulness construct and the IS acceptance/adoption literature to give it the richness in theoretical perspective that it presently lacks. While the updated DM model is a generic, comprehensive e-commerce systems success model, it suffer s from certain difficulties. First, the Net Benefit measure in the model is conceptually too broad to define. As DeLone McLean (2004) suggest, ‘The new net benefits construct immediately raises three issues that must be addressed: what qualifies as a benefit? for whom? and at what level of analysis’ Thus, when using the updated DM model, researchers need to clearly and carefully define the stakeholders and the context in which Net Benefits are to be measured (DeLone McLean, 2004). DeLone and McLean (2003) propose an updated IS success model (Fig. 2) and evaluate its usefulness in light of the dramatic changes in IS practice, especially the advent and explosive growth of ecommerce. They agree with Seddons premise that the combination of variance and process explanations of IS success in one model can be confusing, but argue that Seddons reformulation of the DeLone and McLean (1992) model into two partial variance models unduly complicates the success model, and defeats the intent of the original model. Based on prior studies, DeLone and McLean (2003) propose an updated model of IS success by adding a â€Å"service quality† measure as a new dimension of the IS success model, and by grouping all the â€Å"impact† measures into a single impact or benefit category called â€Å"net benefit.† DeLone McLean (2004) propose several e-commerce systems success measures identified in the management information systems (MIS) and marketing literature, t he nomological structure of the updated DM model is not fully consistent with the quality- value-satisfaction-loyalty chain in the marketing and consumer behavior. Thus, continued research is also required to reconcile the updated DM model with the marketing research literature. Although some researchers claim that service quality is merely a subset of the models systems quality, the changes in the role of IS over the last decade argue for a separate variable called the â€Å"service quality† dimension (DeLone McLean, 2003). On the other hand, while researchers have suggested several IS impact measures, such as individual, work group impacts, organizational impacts (DeLone McLean, 1992), interorganizational impacts, consumerimpacts, and societal impacts (Seddon, 1997), DeLone and McLean (2003) move in the opposite direction and group all of the impact measures into a single net benefits variable, to avoid complicating the model with more success measures. Given that system usage continues to be used as a dependent variable in a number of empirical studies, and takes on a new importance in Internet-based system success measurements, where system use is Voluntary, â€Å"system usage† and the alternative â€Å"intention to use† are still considered as Important measures of IS success in the updated DeLone and McLean model. References Seddon PB, Staples S, Patnayakuni R, Bowtell M (1999) Dimensions of information systems success. Communications of the AIS Grover V, Jeong SR, Segars AH (1996) Information systems effectiveness: the construct space and patters of application. Information Management 31(4):177-191 Goodhue DL, Thompson RL (1995) Task-technology fit and individual performance. MIS Quarterly 19(2):213 DeLone WH, McLean ER (1992) Information systems success: the quest for the dependent variable. Information Systems Research DeLone WH, McLean ER (2003) The DeLone and McLean model of information systems success: a ten-year update. Journal of Management Information Systems McGill, T., Hobbs, V., Klobas, J. (2003). User-developed applications and information systems success: A test of DeLone and McLeans model. Information resources Management Journal, R.O. Mason, Measuring information output: a communication systems approach, Information Management Seddon, P. B. Kiew, M.-Y. (1994). A partial test and development of the DeLone and McLean model of IS success. In J. I. De Gross, S. L. Huff, M. C. Munro (Eds.), Proceedings of the international conference on information systems Atlanta, GA: Association for Information Systems Rai, A., Lang, S.S. Welker, R.B. (2002) Assessing the validity of IS success models: an empirical test and theoretical analysis. Information Systems Research, Molla, A. Licker, P.S. (2001) E-commerce systems success: an attempt to extend and respecify the DeLone and McLean model of IS success. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research Taylor, S. and Todd, P. â€Å"Understanding information technology usage: a test of competing models,† Information Systems Research